The World Alive
by MountainSounds
Summary: Zombie apocalypse hit New York City hard and Castle and co. are stuck at The Old Haunt with missing family members.


„We should head north, to my father's cabin, maybe they won't get up there, it's quite rural in the mountains," she said, pulling out a map from her bag and trying to locate the old log house.

„Beckett's right, we'd have better chances that way, we can't just sit around here and wait 'til they come knockin' on the doors, we should go as soon as possible," Esposito turned back from the window and let the blinds fell back into place as he faced his team.

Those blinds sheltered them from the chaos of the outside world, a world that's turned upside down in less than 24 hours.

The detectives, Castle, Lanie and Ryan's wife were sitting in a booth at The Old Haunt, been waiting there since the whole thing started. Their night started just as any normal night would start after a long and hard week of catching criminals. They had a few drinks, having a good time and when they heard the first shouts and screams and saw the things running after people they couldn't tell if it's just the alcohol playing tricks with them or something's gone really wrong.

But when the other guests started to panic and leave the bar after they heard the TV channels and radio stations that broadcasted the events talk about an epidemic, they started to realize that it's not some bad Halloween joke. They could hear the roars of the living dead chasing their confused and shocked prey down the streets of New York. Nobody could tell what happened, virus, bacteria or something worse, the only thing they knew that it was spreading, fast. It all went down in a couple of hours, the army didn't have time set up quarantine zones, everybody thought they would be prepared for a situation, if not entirely like this, but similar. Now they were trying to fix the damage and get rid of the infected, soldiers were firing at any suspicious person, living or dead. They told people to stay in their homes, turn off the lights, and be quiet, but the government couldn't stop the panic, and the majority of the city flocked to the roads leading out of the city.

„I'm not leaving the city without my mother and Alexis, I need to get them, my baby girl must be so scared and I don't even know where she is." Castle stared down at his cellphone, still no signal. He's been trying for hours now, but couldn't reach his daughter, nor his mother.

„Sure, man, but we need to hurry, the highways are already jammed and it's gonna be a lot worse in a couple of hours, you know what being trapped in the city means, you've seen enough movies, right?" Javier said, he really understood Castle's worry, but things weren't looking up and they couldn't hide forever in The Old Haunt's empty eatery.

„You know, you don't have to come with me, I'm getting my family with or withour your help," Castle said, he started to gather his things as he stood up from his seat. „Just give me a gun..."

„You don't think you're going out there alone, are you?" Beckett asked.

„Listen, guys, nobody should be goin' out there alone. I suggest Ryan goes with Beckett and Castle, you need more guns on the street, I'm gonna stay here with Lanie and hold the front, this place seems safe so far, at least until you get Mrs. R. and Alexis, that shouldn't be more like a couple of hours, right?" Esposito suggested the idea, after all they were in need of a plan if they wanted to get out alive. „I guess we should sit down, discuss our options." Jenny Ryan moved closer to her husband and took his hands in hers, she wasn't a fan of the idea of him leaving the safety of the bar.

Rick sat back down, resting his head in his heads, trying to think about the best way to pull off this whole escape from the city thing, but unfortunately, there were no crazy ideas, no far-fetched theories on his mind, he was far too concerned with the possibility of his daughter or his mother getting hurt, he couldn't think of anything else.

„Do you actually believe that there's gonna be an apocalypse of some sort? God, I'm sure the feds will take care of this mess in a matter of time," Lanie said with a weak voice, waking from her booze-filled slumber.

„Lanie, I don't think that you're aware of the fact that dead people are eating living people on the streets and it's all over the news and they say Uncle Sam has no idea what's causing this hell," Esposito talked back, trying to defend his point.

„Right, I'm with Javi on this, first of all, we need more guns, who knows how long this will last, if it's like in the movies, then hell, we're damned, we need to be prepared to protect ourselves, we also need another car, if we want to make it to the mountains," Ryan replied. „I guess it's better if we stay togheter, safety in numbers and all that, so while we pick up Martha and Alexis... and a car, you guys could pack some food and water, so we could be off right when we get back."

„But before we head to the cabin, we'd better check the precinct too, get more guns, if the others didn't already take them," said Beckett.

„Sounds like a plan," Esposito answered while grabbing the keys of his car, he was the only one who didn't choose public transport the night before, the others knew they wouldn't be allowed to drive after a night at The Old Haunt. The latino tossed his keys to Beckett. She grabbed her gun before getting up and heading towards to the door. Ryan did the same while Castle peeked through the windows to check how bad it is outside. A few monsters were chewing on some of the less luckier guys, at least they were distracted enough.


End file.
